As more live production teams transition to virtualized and cloud-based workflows, streamlined processes are becoming even more essential. With teams distributed over a global footprint, ensuring consistency is maintained across all locations is crucial. Not only does this keep the post-production cycle flowing smoothly, but it also reduces disruption at cross-over points in the workflow, where multiple teams collaborate.
The cloud has proved to be an essential resource, it makes processes more efficient and connects tools and solutions from different vendors. This enables broadcasting teams to create their ideal end-to-end workflows. But what best practices need to be considered? And does a one-size-fits-all approach apply?
Before we explore the elements of an optimal workflow, let’s briefly outline each stage of the post-production process, from capture to archive.
- Capture: The point of acquisition and creation. Content is captured live in real-time or recorded in studio or on location.
- Ingest: In this phase, media is transferred from the source of capture (i.e., the camera or hard drive) to a desired destination (i.e., a server or editing software) for further processing, distribution, or storage.
- Media Asset Management: The point of storing and managing media footage and assets. A Media Asset Management (MAM) platform provides the tools to organize and catalog the ingested content, creating a streamlined system for searching and retrieving assets as needed.
- Post-Production: This process incorporates all aspects of editing, preparing, and validating raw materials. The materials delivered in this stage are transformed ready for distribution.
- Broadcast/Archive: Broadcast – Transmitting the prepared content to your desired audience. Archive – Preserving the prepared content in storage for later use or broadcasting.
True End-to-End Workflows
Although media companies may have selected infrastructure to manage the different stages of a post workflow, these often operate in isolation, making it difficult to maintain consistency down the line. For maximum efficiency and optimization, media tech solutions need to integrate with systems from other vendors, in order to create a complete end-to-end workflow.
Recently, we announced a technology partnership with EditShare, integrating our live multicam video ingest solutions, with its storage and Media Asset Management solutions, EFS and FLOW. This creates a seamless workflow for ingest, media asset management, production asset management, and archive.
Many vendors claim to offer end-to-end solutions which can solve every requirement in the workflow. However, very rarely do they meet every need of the production company, and additionally, being tied to a proprietary framework can result in several issues. Media workflows are complex, and a one-size-fits-all approach is rarely a viable option. Instead, companies need to consider their individual workflow goals and select vendors that can integrate their solutions alongside existing infrastructure and tools from other partners. Therefore, a true end-to-end workflow should consist of solutions from carefully selected technology partners.
Workflow Best Practices
To create the ideal, ingest to post workflow, each step in the process should be considered both individually and as a part in the whole post-production pipeline. Each element, as listed above, should run efficiently and seamlessly. Crucial considerations include:
- Interoperability – Every tool and solution should integrate with, and complement, the rest of the workflow using comprehensive RESTful APIs.
- Adaptability – As technology and workflows change, the solutions you implement should be able to adapt and scale to suit requirements.
- Automation – Implementing tools that enable a seamless transition to the next stage, empowers teams to work smarter.
- Efficiency – Integrations should enable immediate access to media, at every stage of the workflow.
Cinedeck and EditShare’s technology partnership helps media organizations to move seamlessly from camera, through to post-production, then archive. Get in touch to discuss how Cinedeck and Editshare can unify your production workflow, from the camera to post and archive.